What is my phone worth in Australia?

As of August 2026, typical Australian trade-in payouts in good condition are roughly A$1,420 for an iPhone 17 Pro Max, A$880 for an iPhone 17, A$800 for an iPhone 16, A$620 for an iPhone 15, A$1,300 for a Galaxy S26 Ultra, A$800 for a Galaxy S26, A$700 for a Pixel 10 Pro and A$480 for a Pixel 10. Offers vary by up to 20 per cent between buyers, so compare before committing. RefurbVerify's free trade-in estimator shows indicative offers from seven Australian buyers side by side.

Who pays the most for phone trade-ins in Australia?

It depends on the device and the day. Broker services such as Regood scan many buyers and pass on the best offer, so they often top the table for Apple devices. Among direct buyers, Reebelo and OzMobiles typically lead. In-store buyers such as Elephone and JB Hi-Fi pay less but pay immediately. Mobile Guru offers a price-beat guarantee. No single buyer wins every time, which is why comparing is worth ten minutes.

When is the best time to sell my phone in Australia?

July and August, four to six weeks before Apple's September announcement. Prices for outgoing models typically fall around 10 per cent in the month surrounding a launch as owners rush to sell. Selling in August rather than October is commonly worth A$100 to A$200. With the Pixel 11 arriving 20 August 2026 and the iPhone 18 Pro expected in September, the current window closes within weeks.

Is it better to trade in or sell privately?

Private sale usually shows a higher headline price, often 15 to 25 per cent above a trade-in quote, but you carry the fees, the time, the no-shows and the payment-fraud risk, and money can take weeks. Trade-in pays less but is fast, insured against buyer fraud and typically settles within 24 hours to five business days. For devices under about A$300 the gap rarely justifies the effort; above roughly A$800 a private sale can be worth it if you are comfortable managing the risk.

Does battery health affect my phone trade-in value?

Yes, significantly. Most Australian buyers reduce their offer when battery health falls below 80 to 85 per cent, and the reduction is commonly A$50 to A$120 on a recent flagship. Check on iPhone under Settings, Battery, Battery Health. Some sellers quote a lower condition grade rather than an explicit battery deduction, so read the grading definitions.

Can I trade in a cracked or water-damaged phone in Australia?

Yes, though at a much lower price. Most online buyback services accept damaged devices under a 'poor' or 'faulty' grade, typically 30 to 45 per cent of the good-condition price. Elephone accepts damaged and carrier-locked devices in store across its four Melbourne locations. Never dispose of a broken phone as general waste, as it is e-waste and banned from landfill in Victoria, South Australia and the ACT.

What Is My Phone Worth? Compare AU Trade-In Offers

Short answer. In good condition, an iPhone 17 Pro Max is worth roughly A$1,420 at trade-in right now, an iPhone 16 about A$800, a Galaxy S26 Ultra around A$1,300 and a Pixel 10 Pro about A$700. The number that matters more is the spread: the same phone can fetch 20 per cent more from one Australian buyer than another. Our estimator compares seven of them at once, and it's free.

Check what your phone is worth →

Sell before September, or lose A$100–200

Trade-in values follow a predictable annual cycle. Prices for outgoing models fall roughly 10 per cent in the month surrounding a major launch, as owners rush to sell at the same time and buyers suddenly have more stock than they need.

Two launches are about to land. The Pixel 11 range ships on 20 August 2026, and the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are expected in September. That makes right now the seasonal peak — the last few weeks before the flood. Selling in August rather than October is commonly worth A$100 to A$200 on a recent flagship.

If you're upgrading anyway, quote your current phone this month rather than after the new one arrives.

What Australian buyers are paying, August 2026

Indicative payouts for a 256GB handset in good condition — fully working, minor cosmetic wear, unlocked, battery above 85 per cent.

Model	Good condition	Flawless	Cracked / faulty
iPhone 17 Pro Max	A$1,420	A$1,620	A$560
iPhone 17	A$880	A$1,010	A$340
iPhone 16 Pro Max	A$1,190	A$1,380	A$460
iPhone 16	A$800	A$920	A$310
iPhone 15	A$620	A$730	A$230
iPhone 14	A$410	A$500	A$150
Galaxy S26 Ultra	A$1,300	A$1,490	A$500
Galaxy S26	A$800	A$930	A$310
Galaxy S25 Ultra	A$1,030	A$1,180	A$380
Galaxy Z Fold 7	A$1,250	A$1,440	A$470
Pixel 10 Pro	A$700	A$810	A$260
Pixel 10	A$480	A$560	A$180

Estimates, not quotes. 128GB models sit roughly A$50 lower and 512GB roughly A$65 higher. A carrier-locked handset attracts about 7–8 per cent less. Run your exact model →

The seven buyers, and how they differ

They are not interchangeable. Some are brokers, some buy directly, some only want Apple hardware, and one only quotes in person.

Buyer	TrustScore	How it works	Takes
Regood	Not yet scored	Broker — scans 100+ buyers, passes on the best price. Free post, paid within 24hrs of inspection.	Apple only
Reebelo	87	Instant online quote, credit applied to a purchase.	All brands
OzMobiles	91	Highest-scoring AU specialist. Free postage label, fast payment.	All brands
Phonebot	74	Instant quote, same-day processing, cash or store credit.	All brands
Back Market	75	Credit toward a purchase, multiple condition grades.	All brands
Elephone	57	In-store cash on the spot, 4 Melbourne stores. Accepts damaged and locked devices.	Apple, in store
JB Hi-Fi	59	In-store credit via Assurant. Repriced monthly, 10th–15th.	All brands

TrustScores are RefurbVerify's independent 0–100 ratings of each vendor as a seller. A low score doesn't mean a bad trade-in price — JB Hi-Fi's reflects whole-platform reviews across every product category. How we score →

Brokers versus direct buyers

Regood doesn't buy your phone. It's an agent: you describe the device, it scans its buyer network and passes on the best offer, taking a margin. That often beats any single buyer's rate card, but you're relying on its network rather than one company's published prices.

In-store cash pays less — and that can still be right

Elephone and JB Hi-Fi quote in person and pay immediately. Expect below the best online rate: you're trading some value for same-day money and no postage. Elephone is also the only buyer here that will take a cracked screen or a carrier-locked handset without much fuss, which matters if online services have already rejected you.

Trade in, sell privately, or keep it?

	Trade-in	Private sale	Keep as spare
Typical return	Baseline	+15–25%	A$0
Time cost	~20 minutes	Hours, often weeks	None
Payment speed	24hrs–5 days	Unpredictable	—
Risk	Low	Scams, chargebacks, no-shows	Value keeps falling
Best for	Most people	Devices above ~A$800	Genuine backup need

Below about A$300 the private-sale premium rarely justifies the effort. Above roughly A$800 it can be worth it, if you're comfortable meeting strangers and handling payment risk. And the "keep it in a drawer" option isn't free: a phone sitting unused still loses 20–35 per cent a year.

Five things that change your quote

Battery health. Below 80–85 per cent, most buyers cut A$50–120 from a recent flagship. Check under Settings › Battery › Battery Health on iPhone.
Carrier lock. Worth about 7–8 per cent. Unlock through your carrier before you quote — it's usually free and takes a day or two.
Storage. 256GB and above command 10–20 per cent more than the 128GB base.
Cracks and screen burn. The single biggest deduction. A cracked rear glass often costs less than a cracked screen, so quote both honestly.
Activation lock. Sign out of iCloud or your Google account and factory reset. A device still tied to your account will be rejected outright or returned at your cost.

How to actually do it

Run your model through the trade-in estimator to see all seven buyers at once.
Take the top two or three and get their exact quotes — estimates are a starting point, not an offer.
Back up. Sign out of iCloud or Google. Factory reset.
Photograph the device before posting, including the IMEI screen. If a buyer later disputes condition, this is your evidence.
Use tracked postage. Reputable buyers supply a prepaid label.
If the revised offer after inspection is lower than quoted, you can decline — the better services return the device free.

See what your phone is actually worth

Seven Australian buyers, one screen, no email required.

Open the trade-in estimator → Compare refurbished sellers

Common questions

Who pays the most for trade-ins in Australia?

It changes by device and by week. Brokers like Regood often top the table for Apple hardware because they shop your device around. Among direct buyers, OzMobiles and Reebelo usually lead. Mobile Guru offers a price-beat guarantee, which is itself a signal that buyers expect you to compare.

Do carrier trade-in deals beat independent buyers?

Sometimes on headline value, but the credit is usually tied to a 24 or 36-month plan. Work out the total contract cost before treating it as a like-for-like comparison — a A$200 better trade-in on a plan costing A$15 more per month is not a better deal.

What happens to my data?

Reputable Australian buyers run a certified data wipe on receipt and won't resell until erasure is verified. You should still back up, sign out and factory reset yourself first — never rely solely on the buyer.

Can I trade in a phone that's still on a payment plan?

Not usually. A device with an outstanding balance can be blocklisted by IMEI, and buyers check. Settle the plan first.

Is trading in better for the environment than keeping it?

Yes. Manufacturing one new smartphone produces roughly 55–80kg of CO₂. Putting a working device back into circulation avoids most of that. Phones are also classified as e-waste and banned from landfill in Victoria, South Australia and the ACT.

All figures are estimates in Australian dollars, modelled from typical Australian buyback rates as at 13 August 2026, and are not quotes. Trade-in prices move constantly with demand, stock and launch cycles — always get the buyer's own quote before committing. We may earn a commission from some links on this page; commercial relationships never affect TrustScores or rankings. See our disclaimer and methodology.

What Is My Phone Worth? Compare Trade-In Offers From 7 Australian Buyers